Self-closing telegraph-key.



N0. '7'76,536.- PATBNTED-DEG. 6, 1904.

v V -N. S. MGKINSEY & A. R. NELSON.

1 SELF CLOSING TELEGRAPH KEY.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1903 no MODEL.

Ewe/Mom (w 1/? 5. 7mm J. A? 71% WW 47 M m NiTE STATES Patented December 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

NOBLE S. MOKINSEYv AND ANTON R. NELSON, OF SUSANVILLE,

CALIFORNIA.

SELF-CLOSING TELEGRAPH-KEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,536, dated. December 6, 1904. Application filed December 26, I903. fierial No. 186,720. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NOBLE S. MoKINsnY I and ANTON R. NELSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Susanville, in the county of Lassen and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self- Closing Telegraph-Keys, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved selfclosing telegraph-key, the object of our invention being to provide a device of this character with which no circuit-closer is necessary and with which it is impossible to leave the key open inadvertently, which will compel the operator to send steadily and with a firm touch and so that there will be no tapping in sending, and which will be cheaper in construction than the ordinary telegraph-key.

Our invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved key. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the tubular bearing for the open-circuit pin. is a broken perspective view showing a modification. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tubular bearing and the plate therefor, in the latter modification detached.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a base, upon which the frame 2 of the key is secured in the usual manner.

3 represents the key-lever, pivoted by trunnions 4 in the ends of screws 5 in standards 6 upon the frame. On the back adjustmentscrew 7 of the key lever is placed a Weak spiral spring 8, the efiect of which is to hold the front end of the key-lever down, and so to hold the circuit normally closed. The operator in sending the message takes hold of the key-knob and sends in the ordinary manner. Through the key-lever, just behind the knob, there is formed a hole upon which is a tubular bearing 9, through which passes a pin This pin moves with 10, having a head 11.

Fig. 3

the key-lever, and when the operator wishes to hold the line he simply raises up the key-knob and presses down upon the pin. The end of the pin then rests upon a stop 12 and holds up the key-lever. When the operator wishes to operate the line, he merely takes hold of the key-knob and commences sending, the downward motion of the key-lever moving the pin upward in its tubular bearing, so that when the key-lever is raised the pin is also raised from the stop. Then when the key-knob is released by the operator the front contact-pin 14 on the under side of the lever and the contact-pin 15 on the anvil 16 on the frame of the key come together and are held in contact by means of the spiral spring 8. The pin 10 cannot be depressed relatively to the key-lever without raising the key-lever. Therefore it is impossible to open the line by any other movement than by rais ing the key-lever and depressing the pin 10. The rod or pin 10 is slightly bent, which causes it to remain in the position to which it has been moved either when depressed relative to the key-lever or raised relative thereto.

In Fig. 3 we have shown a form of the apparatus which enables it to be used in connection with the standard telegraph-key now in use. In this case the tubular bearing passes down at one side of the key-lever and is secured to a plate 17 which is held in position by the knob 18 of the key being screwed onto it.

The advantages of this construction are as follows: No circuit-closer is now necessary, and thus time is saved, there being no circuitcloser to manipulate. Moreover, it is cheaper in construction, there being no circuit-closer or anvil-lip or any screw for adjustment of the spring that raises the key-lever. It is impossible to leave the key open inadvertently. The construction compels the operator to send steadily and with a firm touch, and there is no tapping in sending.

We claim A telegraph-key provided with means for normally holding the front end of the key-lever down and the circuit closed, said front end having a Vertical tubular guide or hearing, I hands in the presence of two subscribing Witand a pin or rod nnovable in said bearing, tiie nesses.

friction of the rot in the bearing being su cient to sustain the front end of the key in its raised position relative to the rod, when the latter is depressed in the bearing, substan- Witnesses:

tially as described. H. W. MEYLERT, In witness whereof We have hereunto set our RAY H. COLLINS. 

